South region groups demand no more ‘darkness’ in coal plant deal

Santo Domingo.- Several environmental and farmers organizationsof Bani on Monday again demanded that president Danilo Medina release thedetails of the government’s deal with the Vicini Group for the land where the powerplants are being built in Punta Catalina,southern Peravia province.

In Letter to Economic and Social Council (CES) president monsignorAgripino Nuñez, technicians, professionals, teachers, human rights advocates,farmers and environmentalists of the region say the population has the right toknow the contract terms, and demand Congressional hearings.

They said the government and the Vicinis aim to carry out the50-year lease of 2.3 million square meters in a “clandestine manner” .

They said the secrecy with which the government handlesthis and other operations related to coal-fired plants is so widespread that itbolsters the perception that the government builds a ballooned project with taxpayermoney to later hand it over to the "owners of the land."

Medina’s administration has set very bad precedents signingclandestine agreements such as a third coal plant, the contract for plantingmahogany trees in the project’s area of ??influence and other transactions keptin total darkness,” the organizations said in an emailed statement.